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Operations manager Chris Sakelarios, left, and cafe owner John Feig pose for a photo in the doorway of The Yard, a new coffee shop in Redwood City’s historic Offerman House. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

Downtown Redwood City’s oldest building is now home to The Yard, a cafe brewing up coffee, community and history. The business had its soft opening on June 26, serving beverages to go out of its Carriage House.

Located at 1018 Main St., The Yard consists of three spaces on the historic property: the main building (Offerman House), the Carriage House and the courtyard. 

Listed as the John Offerman House in the National Register of Historic Places, the Folk Greek Revival style home was built in 1857 and named after a prominent local family that owned the property from 1889 to 1973. Saved from demolition in 1979, the home was restored and later enlarged to its current footprint. It was previously used by The Main Gallery, which began exhibiting contemporary art by Peninsula-based artists in 2000 before moving to Menlo Park. 

Customers sip coffee in the garden of The Yard, a new coffeeshop located in Redwood City’s historic Offerman House, during its soft opening on June 26, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

The Yard will take advantage of the property’s distinct architectural features, including a wrap-around porch, sun room and brick-laden courtyard. While coffee is currently served only out of the Carriage House, a compact outbuilding adjacent to the courtyard, The Yard plans to open the Offerman House in the fall for service and events. 

Owner John Feig and operations manager Chris Sakelarios, both Redwood City residents, met serendipitously at a children’s birthday party in May 2023. Feig, a longtime home coffee brewer, had been interested in launching his own business and was a fan of Sakelarios’ Back Yard Coffee, which closed in Redwood City in 2018. With a passion for great coffee, Feig decided to open The Yard, tapping Sakelarios as the manager given her previous small business experience and knowledge of the community. 

The pair are finalizing renovations at the Offerman House to bring the full cafe experience to life, with hopes of creating a true “third place” in Redwood City. The Carriage House currently serves a variety of coffee and tea beverages for to-go service, which will be the same menu offered at the Offerman House. The goal is to provide flexibility for customers seeking to go or sit-down service while taking advantage of the property’s footprint and architectural features.

Chris Sakelarios, operations manager at The Yard in Redwood City’s historic Offerman House, chats with new customers during the coffee shop’s soft opening on June 26, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

Third place, as defined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, is “a physical setting that encourages a sense of warmth, conviviality, and that special kind of human sustenance we call community.” Examples of third places include bookstores, gyms, bars, clubs and cafes. But not all cafes evoke that sense of warmth that The Yard hopes to cultivate.

“A lot of modern coffee shops tend to be as sparse as possible,” Feig said. “The intent for The Yard is to be a very welcoming and comfortable third place for the community to spend time together, talk and hang out.”

In other words, long coffee chats, get-togethers over drinks and catch-ups with friends and family are very much encouraged. The Yard currently serves coffee roasted in-house using a small batch Bellwether, plus tea drinks, sipping chocolate, matcha and lemonade. Their coffee bean blends include Ethiopia single origin organic – Shanta Golba (effervescent, fruit-forward flavors and exquisite aromatics); Guatemala single origin – Manos de Mujer (notes of orange blossom, toffee, stone fruit, and hazelnut); Offerman House blend (mix of African and South American beans); and decaf organic Swiss water process (sweet tasting notes and a syrupy body). 

Customers sip coffee in the garden of The Yard, a new coffee shop located in Redwood City’s historic Offerman House, during its soft opening on June 26, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

In the future, The Yard will serve beer, wine and a variety of desserts such as cakes, pies and pastries made by Dana Bloom of Bloomies Bakery, a home-based cottage kitchen in San Carlos. Plans are in the works to host a packed calendar of events and performances, bringing in bands and local talent and hosting events for a variety of groups once The Yard is fully staffed.

For Feig, the new coffee shop expands on his personal interest in coffee roasting, which he first started experimenting with in 2009. But his passion for the craft sparked much earlier, having worked at local coffee shops in high school and college in his home state of New York. From 2016 to 2017, Feig and his wife Elizabeth and his brother Jack ran Red City Roasters, roasting from CoRo Coffee Room in Berkeley and selling bags online. 

“I found that roasting my own coffee allowed me to explore different origins and roast profiles,” Feig said. “Over the last few years, I’ve finally gotten to the point of being able to make excellent espresso at home.”

Customers sip coffee in the garden of The Yard, a new coffee shop located in Redwood City’s historic Offerman House, during its soft opening on June 26, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

Having previously owned Back Yard Coffee for nearly a decade, serving the community again is what Sakelarios is most looking forward to. In addition to managing The Yard, Sakelarios also runs a small online business, Auntie Lou’s Brew. Known for sipping on a daily mocha, her aunt Louise Prado, a Redwood City resident, started her coffee business at the age of 105 before her death in 2022. 

Sakelarios continues to sell five unique blends of organic coffee beans online as a way to honor her late aunt, and one drink on The Yard’s menu is inspired by a beverage Auntie Lou enjoyed as a child. Called “La Azteca” in a nod to their Mexican Aztec heritage, the drink consists of cocoa, cinnamon, confectioners’ sugar, nutmeg and cayenne powder, mixed with a double shot of espresso with steamed half-and-half.

As a Redwood City native, Sakelarios is excited for guests to experience The Yard and beverages like La Azteca.

“I love Redwood City and being involved in community events,” Sakelarios said. “I feel like a lot of small businesses are kind of fading away…so we hope (The Yard) will be a good place for people to interact, relax and come together.” 

Customers sip coffee in the garden of The Yard, a new coffee shop located in Redwood City’s historic Offerman House, during its soft opening on June 26, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

Sakelarios has brainstormed ways to reflect her community within the space. Ideas include featuring vintage lithography from Menlo Park’s former Acorn restaurant, creating a teacup chandelier using heirloom pieces from Redwood City residents and hanging paintings by local artists on the cafe walls. This art will serve as a centerpiece at the Offerman House once the space opens to the public.

With their new business, Feig and Sakelarios hope to breathe new life into this stretch of Main Street. As The Yard works toward a full grand opening, including the Offerman House, the team is excited to serve customers out of their Carriage House in time to enjoy beverages for summer in the courtyard. 

The Yard, 1018 Main St., Redwood City; Instagram: @theyardrwc. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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